Outboard motor support



Feb. 9, 1954 4 R. H. HARNEIT OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT Filed Dec. 18, 1950 WXW Patented F ch. 9, 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention pertains to an outboard motor support designed for use in combination with a conventional boat having a main driving motor or power unit and a conventional steering rudder rather than to a support for an outboard motor where the outboard is the main and sole driving means for the boat.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a secondary or emergency power means to enable a conventional boat to return to port when its main power plant is disabled and inoperative.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an outboard motor support which is quickly and easily attached to or detached from the transom of a boat.

A further object of the invention is an outboard motor support which can be raised and lowered vertically to permit the motor to be lifted clear of the water and conveniently positioned for cranking or starting by the usual means employed and to also position the motor where it can be conveniently refueled by a person on the boat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor support having thereon means for locking the steering handle of the motor so that the rudder, which forms a part of the motor unit, can be locked or secured in a neutral position so that the boat can be steered by its conventional rudder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor support embodying a motor supporting platform which is adjustable to position the motor toward or away from the boat transom and is adjustable about a horizontal pivot so that the motor propeller may be positioned at selective inclinations to the vertical.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an outboard motor which can in part be collapsed and in part quickly assembled or dis-assembled so that it may be stored in a minimum space.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 i a side elevation illustrating the device mounted on the stem or transom of a. boat.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support, illustration of the motor being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the guideways of the support, the parts being illustrated in a partially collapsed position.

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the hinge joint of the guideway braces, the hinge being closed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the hinge being shown in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the lines 6-6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plane view illustrating the holding clip for the steering handle of the motor.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line i38 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary to view illustrating the construction which gives adjustability to the side frames and braces of the support platform.

Having reference now to the drawings and utilizing like reference numerals and characters to designate similar parts, A is the stem end of a conventional boat provided with a conventional boat drive means and steering rudder, neither of which is illustrated and having the usual and conventional transom l. The rudder of a conventional boat is ordinarily under the stern and would not be visible.

A pair of elongated guides B and C are interconnected adjacent their upper and lower ends by a pair of hinged cross braces D and E. These brace are identical of construction and each comprises arms 2 and 3 having outer ends suitably pivotly connected to the rear faces of the guides While their inner end are pivotly connected to one another at 4. To assure rigidity when the hinge is closed and to provide frictional engagement between the pivotly connected ends 2 and 3 the brace part 3 is cut-out as at 5 for frictional telescopic reception of a tongue 6 carried by the brace part 2. When the hinges of the brackets are closed the guides are positioned in spaced parallel relationship, as in Fig. 2, but When the hinges are open the guides can be folded or collapsed so that their opposing side faces are in abutment. This permits this part of the support to be stowed in a limited space which is of course advantageous on a boat.

At their upper ends guides B and C are provided with hooks 7 and 8 which attachably engage eyes 9 which extend outwardly from the boat transom i. At their lower ends the guides carry a similar set of hooks one of which is illustrated and is designated It. A second set of eyes ll extend rearwardly from the boat transom for the reception of these hooks. When the hooks of the guides are engaged with the eyes the guides extend vertically and are disposed and held in spaced apart parallel relationship.

The outer or rear face of each guide is provided with a T-shaped guideway which are designated l2 and I3 respectively. T-shaped slides F and 3 G are disposed in the guideways and vertically slideable therein. Adjacent their lower ends the guideways are provided with stops l4 and [5 which engage the lower ends of the slides and limit their lower most movement.

A platform is made up of side arms P and H, a rear end J and a cross brace I6. Each of the side arms comprise a pair of elements I! and 3 having overlapping ends; see Fig. 91 which ares-e cured together his. pair of thumb boltsor n uts l9 and 20 which are selectively positioned through two of a plurality of holes provided in the over-lapping ends of the elements I? f8; The inner ends of the elements 18 are pivotall y connected to the slides F and G as at 2! and 22'.

A pair of side supportingbraices K and-l5 are each made up of two pieces 23 and 24. Pieces 23 are pivotally connected to the slides 25* andthe pieces 24 are pivotally connected to the platforniside arms -as'at- 26. The pieces 23 and 24 have over-lapping ends each provided witha plurality of bolt holes 21' for the reception of pairs of wing nutssimilar tothose described and illustrated in Fig. 9. To add rigidity the slides F afiil' G are interconnectedacross their upper er'fdsby a: cross brace-or bar 282 The outboard motor is designated as an en: tir'ty by Mand embodies theusual steering handle 29, rudder 30 and propeller 3| and a clamp 32;

The rear-end J of theplatform reality com stitutes' a block for the reception of the out-'- board motor clamp 32 as appears in Fig. 1; By reason of thepivotal connections-21* and Z-Z of the side arms of the platform andthe" adjustability' ofthe lengths of the supporting braces K and L- the'outer end of the" platform can be raised and lowered by varying the lengths of- K- and L. This adjustment makes it possible to tilt the outboardmotor so as to dispose the propeller thereof at the most desirable angle to obtain proficiency of drive. 7

As is well known; an outboard driveir boat is usually steered by rotating the outboard motor about a-verti'cal axis: In the present'instancethe steering of the boa't'is" to be done by the conven tional' boat rudder and to avoidinterferenc'e with proper steering: the rudder 30" of the outboard motor should be heldin" a neutral; that is nonsteering; po'sitionz Toaccomp'lisnthis' the steer ing-handle-of the motor should-be'locked-with-the rudder 30"positioned in alignment'withthe longi: tmdinal axis ofthe boat-:- A clip; lock N' ispro vided' for engaging. and so looking the" steering handle ofthe motor. This clipis'securedto the platform side supporting brace-K as at 33; The

. Adjacent its upper end the guide I S is provided v,

with a rearwardly extending arm 3'! and the} guide Q- with anpppositely positioned; rearwardly extending arm 38. These arrns receive and sup-- port a readily removable rod 39. Iii-g g 1 the platform and motor are illustrated in an ele} vated position. The parts are slipper-ted in this position by the use of the rod 39 which extends beneath the side arms H and P of the platform. The lowered position of the platform is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When so positioned the lower ends of the slides F and G are in engagement with the stops l4. When the platform is in an elevated position the motor is conveniently positioned'to be started or refueled ffo rh tlfe boat-and it is pdssihle 'to stlrt the motor without it being under load.

To facilitate storage in a limited space the pivotal connections 2i and 22 are in the form of bolts' iiiihg nuts as are also the pivotal connectionsgli. {Ihus the platform can be easily and dummy di'sebnnected from the slides. The pivotal-- connections- 26 are of a similar nature and thus the supporting side braces K and L can be quibkly disconnected from the platform. Removal of the pivots 25 disconnect the cross-bar 28- front the slides? In its" dismantled state the support will-requirea'minimum of space for stor age.-

Wh'at-r claim" 1 In a device forduickly in its entirety at ta'chin'g to or detaching from a; boat a support and carrier for an outboard propelling motorr' a?" pair of elongatedguide eiements'eachbf whichis provided-in its" front face with a longitudinally iiteridin'g guideway. a"-: hook on th'e rea' r face-of each guide element adjacent a'cliof its ends arid adaptd to attach the guides to=the boatwith the? guides extending vertically and spaced v pamur relationship; an elongatedslide disposed in each guideway for vertical sliding movement therein; a; substantially horizontally disposed platform secured to" and; extending-V rear-wardly from" the lower ends of-'the=slides;braces xtend in? from ad'cjttc'ehttheouter rear corners of the platform to te upper ends of the slides;- a= brace interconnecting the upper and lower ends re: spe'btively of the guide" elements,- 'sai'd braces irr addition to said hook attachment of the guides to" the boat serving: to a'd'drigidity to th''said pbsitioiiin er the eludes;

I 2*. ifconstructionas 'defifieddn claim 1 where the braces interconnecting the upper'and lower" ends of the guide elements'are inthe form of hiri'ge's-whi'clf pel'mit thiguides ttrbe moved= into side to side abuttingirelationship'when the uides are removed from the-m I RUSSELL HA'RN'EI'I.

References cited in the hie of this patent s R rhsrA 'rEN-Ts 

